CBD American Shaman now open on Route 1

CBD American Shaman owner Jay Whittle said the biggest thing that separates his product from 90 percent of others on the market is that it is water soluble, which means it’s better for customers.

“Oil and water don’t mix,” said Whittle, pointing to a mouthwash-sized container of water with an oily film floating around the top. “The human body is mostly water.”

For years now, with little federal regulation, hemp-based cannabidiol, CBD, has been promoted as a way to treat everything from muscle aches to stress.

Whittle said he and his business partners - all three are lawyers from Pennsylvania, one is even a judge - got into the industry after a friend of his needed help with marijuana-related issues. He said he noticed CBD-focused stores everywhere as they traveled to California, Colorado and other states.

That was in 2016. Since then he and his partners have opened three CBD American Shaman stores in Pennsylvania. The one in Rehoboth, open now for a little over two weeks, is their fourth.

Whittle said the trio chose CBD American Shaman because, after years of research, it was the company that impressed them the most.

“We’re lawyers. What do lawyers do? We do research. We can’t go into court without doing research,” said Whittle, estimating he still spends roughly 20 percent of his time in court. “We had to find out what is real and what is not.”

In addition to water solubility, Whittle said CBD American Shaman, a chain with hundreds of stores across the country, grows and processes everything in house.

“There are hundreds of CBD-based products out there right now, and a person doesn’t know what they’re getting. They could be buying olive oil,” said Whittle, adding the company is certified by the U.S. Hemp Authority. “It’s the wild, wild west right now.”

Whittle said his CBD products are made water soluble by going through an emulsification process that breaks the oily compound down. He said the result is a tincture with a 100 percent absorption rate.

“Oil is cheap to produce,” he said, adding that a bottle with a one-month supply of CBD American Shaman costs $60. “That’s $2 a day. We’re reasonably priced.”

In addition to the water-soluble tinctures, CBD American Shaman offers topical cream, drinks, bath bombs, lip balm, edibles, and five varieties of hemp flower that can be smoked. There is even a line of products for pets.

“Dogs and cats hurt just like we do,” said Whittle.

Whittle said he’s the one who convinced his partners to open a store in Rehoboth. He said he grew up in Hockessin and spent a lot of his childhood coming to the state’s beaches during the summer. More recently, he said, he and his wife were in town on a weekend get-away when he saw the new construction taking place at Sandpiper Plaza, near the intersection of routes 1 and 24. The building wasn’t even here the last time he was down, he said.

CBD American Shaman is sandwiched between SEED Eatery and Urban Float. Whittle said he chose the new building because of its location, and he feels like it mixes well with the other businesses. There are anchor stores nearby and the businesses in this building are all about health and wellness, he said.

“It’s got everything we would want,” he said.

CBD American Shaman, 18979 Coastal Highway, Unit 103, is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday. For more information go to cbdrehobothbeach.com, email cbdshamanofdelaware@gmail.com or call 302-259-0987.